Andrew's no-nonsense new blog

Tom the dog is now in retirement; for news regarding writer, Andrew McGuinness, please visit his new website here:
http://www.andrewmcguinness.co.uk/page_1257242855543.html

bad news..or good news...depending...

Woe is me - I've been discovered as a blogger by the Master, and he has banished me from the study (and access to His pc) for the foreseeable. There's no way around it - the door handle's just too difficult to turn with a paw.

So, it looks as if this (he has allowed me just one more message) is my last shout out to the blogosphere. And now it has come, I'm really at a loss as to what to say. Except goodbye, and I hope you enjoyed the ride.

It would appear that soon, my Master will be writing His own blog instead of this one. I'm not fussed really. To be honest, my pawpads and toes ache with the arthritis. It's hard pressing the keys. My blogging days were numbered before the recent discovery.

I'm now officially in retirement, to enjoy winter nights by the open fire, meals aplenty, walks in the fine orchards close to home. It's not the end, merely a new beginning...

Bow wow caio for now, and ever.

Tom

Beach Hut Open Day - All Welcome!

This is a little short notice, but hopefully you're in a forgiving mood and have some spare time this weekend to pop along to the beach huts on the Tankerton slopes ( Saturday, 3 October).

The Little Blue Hut is having an open day, 12-30 to 16-30, and the Laureate Squad (Andrew McG, Vicky Wilson, Danny Rhodes and Gary Studley) will be on hand to discuss their writing, their beach hut residency, and tempt you with a few writing prompts and exercises to inspire some of your own creativity on the day.

The little Blue Hut is exactly that: pale blue, the one at the back, on the end, nearest the Lifeguard's hut (though hopefully you won't need one on the day). No.139, I think.

Anyway, I'll let you know exactly how the event goes in a later blog entry.

Tom

Little Blue Hut Blog

Sorry it has been such a while since my last entry. He and She have been on a late summer holiday; Bella and I went to a five star hotel for a week, and before that, well, things have beena little bit upside down (as per usual).

Anyhow, He has been busy working on His next novel (even I'm not allowed to say anything about it!), and preparing for teaching at two universities, beginning next week.

He's also been going to the Little Blue Hut as part of a Laureate Scheme creative residency. Occasionally, he has written in small bursts about what it's like in the beach hut, and the people he has met, and the things he's seen, heard, and felt whilst there. He has written a couple of blog entries which shall be appearing soon on the Little Blue Hut site:
http://www.creativecanterbury.com/buildpage.php?id=97

Poet (and fellow Canterbury Laureate Squad member), Vicky Wilson 's first entries are already up on the site. Check it out.

And please do watch this space over the coming weeks for many new and exciting projects, and opportunities for you to get involved in some really interesting creative writing events in 2009-2010: workshops, competitions, live literature events, an amazing free mentoring scheme for budding poets and prose writers, and many more...but I don't want to steal any thunder from the Canterbury Festival before they officially announce the programme in the near future.

All I would say is, keep your eyes peeled and your pen at the ready!

Tom

Baking books..?

Check this out!

The Fabulous Bakery Boys' third instalment of documentaries for the BBC - about Coffee and Corks, a laidback "literary" coffee shop in Canterbury - includes an interactive book containing the musings, scribblings, doodles, philosophies (and more) from customers. And if you look very carefully, you might see in the soft focus background, one of the Bakery Boys, Richard Dadd. Or I might be wrong there: http://www.webakestuff.co.uk/book/

What would I have written in the book, if only given the chance...

Tom

Entering His blue (hut) period

From bluechrome to blue hut - it appears that my Master, along with other Laureate Squad members, will be intermittently using the Little Blue Hut on the Tankerton slopes at the tail end of August, until October, as part of a creative residency. See details about the hut below:

http://www.creativecanterbury.com/buildpage.php?id=88

This will allow Him time to think (as if he doesn't do enough of that already!), do a little bit of writing maybe; and if people pop in to see him, exchange views on writing too. He might even gaze at the sea and find a new muse. He'll be keeping a little blue blog, of course.

Anyway, Andrew will be snuggled inside the Little Blue Hut on various days from 26th August onwards, as will be Vicky Wilson, Gary Studley and Danny Rhodes, if you want to discuss their writing, or yours, or just take advantage of the wonderful view out to sea. Who knows, you might even bump into me or Bella!

My Master's voice

I've lived with Him for many years now (about 70 in dog years) and I know every single nuance of his voice. So I'm puzzled by the sound of His voice on the recent BBC documentary (iPlayer, 18 August, 15 minutes into the programme) : http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d714

But that's all besides the point - Bella and I got a mention (if not by name, then in other ways)!!! I've been immortalised by the BBC, and by the fabulous Bakery Boys. http://webakestuff.co.uk/blog/2009/08/bbc-radio-kent-ep2-a-portrait-of-the-arsonist-as-a-young-man/

Famous - if only for six more days...and if only by default...who cares...? I'm Tom, and I go for walks in the orchards!